News and Blog Report: Babcock

[TFHockey]

We've all heard it. Bob Stauffer all but confirmed it.

Mike Babcock is the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers..

What a failure for this organization.

Friedman: What we are hearing on the Oilers and Mike Babcock

Edit: The NHLPA has requested a formal investigation into Mike Babcock's behavior in Columbus back in 2023. He cannot coach until cleared. So another page in the debacle of the Oiler's new Head coach is written. Well done, Oilers. Well done.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

We are living in a simulation.


This is like my 2nd playthrough of Mass Effect when I went full Renegade, and wanted to play as the most deplorable asshole in the universe.

 

[barry halls]

People need to realize that the players approving this doesn’t mean shit. Babcock is a classic narcissist and those types are extremely adept at winning people over and convincing them they’re trustworthy.
Beyond that if the leadership group has played a part in approving all of these horrible decisions the org keeps making you need to cut them out of the decision making process.

 

[McDrai]

I wonder who Babcock verbally abuses this time…he seems to go after the quieter players because he thinks they won’t speak up for themselves:

Franzen says he suffered while playing for Babcock

Former Red Wings forward Johan Franzen says he has suffered greatly from his interactions with former coach Mike Babcock during their time together in Detroit. In an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen published Monday, Franzen said his interactions with Babcock still haunt him –...

www.tsn.ca

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

I wonder who Babcock verbally abuses this time…he seems to go after the quieter players because he thinks they won’t speak up for themselves:

Franzen says he suffered while playing for Babcock

Former Red Wings forward Johan Franzen says he has suffered greatly from his interactions with former coach Mike Babcock during their time together in Detroit. In an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen published Monday, Franzen said his interactions with Babcock still haunt him –...

www.tsn.ca

With all his Baggage can he even do these same shitty tactics anymore?

 

[Perfect_Drug]

People need to realize that the players approving this doesn’t mean shit. Babcock is a classic narcissist and those types are extremely adept at winning people over and convincing them they’re trustworthy.
Beyond that if the leadership group has played a part in approving all of these horrible decisions the org keeps making you need to cut them out of the decision making process.

My wife recently dealt with this at her workplace.

Luckily she had Senior Management, and HR on her side after quietly documenting everything in writing over several months while asking chatGPT for assistance in each step. But she very well could have been the one that got bullied out. It took a f***TON of transcripts chat history and personal text messages to change the minds of HR.

Its literal f***ing hell. Narcissists have gone their entire lives learning to cover their tracks and gaslight everyone around them into thinking their competency is more valuable than the abuse.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

this has panic hire and Katz' ego written all over it

he got mad that Vegas wouldn't allow Cassidy to talk to the Oilers and this is way of sticking it to them

putting aside the stupid mind-games and tactics this guy uses...he lost 3 straight First Round series with the Leafs in 2017, 2018, and 2019
before that hasn't won a playoff series since 2013 and hasn't made it to Conference Finals since 2009

this is the definition of a dinosaur hire....I don't care what he did at the Olympics, or with junior and college teams, those are different eras and the game changed

 

[oXo Cube]

Worst decision the org has made since they hired the guy who is hiring this guy.

 

[MoontoScott]

If true then its another example of a panic move. The Hall trade, the Jarry trade etc. etc. What is exactly is the rush here?

 

[Oilers]

Ah screw it!

I'm excited for it. Our team is a mess, this is a desperate move, but it's not like we've had sustained success with any previous head coach imo.

The writings on the wall, McDavid is likely out after this contract so we might as well throw a hail mary. At the very least, they'll be alot of fireworks.

 

[Mr Kot]

Imagine, it took monumental efforts by McDavid to get this team to 2 cup finals. Without him, these bad decisions would have piled up and who knows how long the playoff drought would have continued.

I thought having him save the franchise from moving was a blessing, but it was a Faustian bargain in the end. Katz has been a curse overall.

 

[popo]

I think this is a smokescreen.
NHL gets motivated to pressure Vegas into giving permission to Cassidy to interview.
1) bad publicity for league by having to revisit Babcock story
2) Cassidy prevented from guaranteeing future earnings by missing out on multi year contract offers that all get taken off the table.

 

[KCC]

Can’t believe Mcdavid’s last time in an oil uniform will be with bowman and Babcock in charge. Actually depressing. I can’t wait until he goes to a team who knows what they are doing and he finally gets a cup. I’ll be there.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

Boudreau, Gallant, who else? Woody (year of tutelage under Q), DJ Smith

 

[K1984]

People need to realize that the players approving this doesn’t mean shit. Babcock is a classic narcissist and those types are extremely adept at winning people over and convincing them they’re trustworthy.
Beyond that if the leadership group has played a part in approving all of these horrible decisions the org keeps making you need to cut them out of the decision making process.

The fact that the leadership group gets to opine at all on which coach they would like is indicative of a bigger problem - you're bang on.

What would the qualifying questions even be?

"We like to start slow here and ease our way into the season because October is boring - you're good with that right?"

"We really like the Ceci, Desharnais, and Foegele's of the world. Can you please make sure players like that get lots of ice?"

"Nurse sucks, but he's our friend so can you please be nice to him?"

Any time there has been word of them doing things above their pay grade, it has been a complete failure. They should focus on hockey and performing their roles (team leadership) better, not give management the thumbs up on who their preferred coach would be.

 

[syz]

Who replaces him when the team starts the season 2-8?

 

[FlameChampion]

People need to realize that the players approving this doesn’t mean shit. Babcock is a classic narcissist and those types are extremely adept at winning people over and convincing them they’re trustworthy.
Beyond that if the leadership group has played a part in approving all of these horrible decisions the org keeps making you need to cut them out of the decision making process.

Glad someone is calling out the leadership core (which is mostly McDavid in this case). Great player but I wonder how influence he has had on some of these bad decisions. I am guessing on this particular one, Hyman is probably pulling on the rope too. But no one in upper management or other players are saying “no” either.

I just sort of get the feeling with this leadership core (McDavid) that winning a cup has caused some tunnel vision for him.

But after we fail this year, mainly because of poor decisions by Bowman/Jackson/Katz, that he will decide to move on.

What a circus.

 

[Arpeggio]

The fact that the leadership group gets to opine at all on which coach they would like is indicative of a bigger problem - you're bang on.

What would the qualifying questions even be?

"We like to start slow here and ease our way into the season because October is boring - you're good with that right?"

"We really like the Ceci, Desharnais, and Foegele's of the world. Can you please make sure players like that get lots of ice?"

"Nurse sucks, but he's our friend so can you please be nice to him?"

Any time there has been word of them doing things above their pay grade, it has been a complete failure. They should focus on hockey and performing their roles (team leadership) better, not give management the thumbs up on who their preferred coach would be.

To the bolded, hiring Babcock does kind of seem like a response to this. I feel like it's very unlikely the Oilers are able to coast through October with a coach like him.

I mean aside from the bullying, mind games, and maybe the playoff performance, Babcock is hypothetically the kind of coach I could see this group benefiting from playing for. I guess we'll find out how it goes.

 

[ConnorNova0929]

Who replaces him when the team starts the season 2-8?

Bill Peters

 

[GMofOilers]

Oh it’s true trust me. The only hold up is the nhlpa at moment. But it’s done

 

[FlameChampion]

To the bolded, hiring Babcock does kind of seem like a response to this. I feel like it's very unlikely the Oilers are able to coast through October with a coach like him.

I mean aside from the bullying, mind games, and maybe the playoff performance, Babcock is hypothetically the kind of coach I could see this group benefiting from playing for. I guess we'll find out how it goes.

If hes hired, it will be an interesting if this team is actually ready to start the season and if he can actually get the whole group going and be involved. I am guessing the answer will be “no”, based on 10 years of data.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Oh it’s true trust me. The only hold up is the nhlpa at moment. But it’s done

our only hope is the PA telling the Oilers what a scumbag he is and he's un-hirable due to coaching mal-practice
make it happen PA

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

our place hope is the PA telling the Oilers what a scumbag he is and he's un-hirable due to coaching mal-practice
make it happen PA

They won’t because the Columbus situation was hardly a reason to keep a guy away from employment in the first place imo.

 

[BobbytheBrain]

Babs is a C word. No doubt.

Imo Woody really created a team culture. This was confirmed by Ryan who said even the 4th line guys feel like they are important. The remanence of this still seemed evident in Knobs first year as how important Brown, Janmark, Foegle were. Even when Brown struggled all year the team totally had his back. I recall a play he devised on paper, then it worked and the team all exploded on the bench mid season. This seemed to kinda slip away the following season, and this last year was a disaster.

It seems Knob stripped that culture away. This is evidenced by McDrai's remarks. Evidenced by what we saw with top players icetime and his sending out McDrai every 3rd shift. Evidenced by what Stauffer said yesterday about 40 different line changes and about sticking with certain lines no matter what

No doubt Babs ego will get the best of him, but Knob was equally as damaging imo.

 

[FlameChampion]

Babs is a C word. No doubt.

Imo Woody really created a team culture. This was confirmed by Ryan who said even the 4th line guys feel like they are important. The remanence of this still seemed evident in Knobs first year as how important Brown, Janmark, Foegle were. Even when Brown struggled all year the team totally had his back. I recall a play he devised on paper, then it worked and the team all exploded on the bench mid season. This seemed to kinda slip away the following season, and this last year was a disaster.

It seems Knob stripped that culture away. This is evidenced by McDrai's remarks. Evidenced by what we saw with top players icetime and his sending out McDrai every 3rd shift. Evidenced by what Stauffer said yesterday about 40 different line changes and about sticking with certain lines no matter what

No doubt Babs ego will get the best of him, but Knob was equally as damaging imo.

Seems like it happens with every coach at first though. Woodcroft had guys going early on. So did Knoblauch.

But once year 2 happens, it all goes back to normal.